Luigi, My Brother
by FanfictionForSantana
Summary: Another battle with Bowser has ceased, but Luigi's thoughts are still multiplying. Why can't he be the hero? Why does it always have to be Mario? After a confrontation with his brother, he leaves the Mushroom Kingdom to show him what he can do; with or without him.
1. Chapter 1

_"Stop acting like you control me, Mario!"_

"I'm your brother, Luigi. I'm supposed to look after you,"

"I'm a grown person, and I can look after myself!"

"I'm worried about you..."

And those were the last words he heard from his brother.

Luigi, the second-rated younger brother of Mario, had come along on a perilous journey to rescue the beautiful Princess Peach from the wrath of Bowser, King of the Koopas. Mario, the hero of this popular tale, has always been watchful of his sibling, and was thus afraid of him becoming a tag-along rather than a true hero himself. The rousing argument over them seemed to have started not long after they saved the Princess from the clutches of King Koopa...

"Drat! You just wait next time, Mario! I shall be back!" laughed Bowser under his fiery breath. He snorted a puff of smoke from his nose, threw a fiery glare towards the brothers, and jumped to his floating clown copter, which flew off into the distance of dark clouds.

Mario, holding Peach in his arms, watched intrepidly as the King of Koopas escaped out of sight. Peach held onto his neck, her face dirty from being imprisoned and her skin trembling in fear. Little worried tears slightly washed the dirt from her face. Luigi stood close to his brother, and sometimes wondered curiously what would happen if Bowser actually DID mean to get away with Peach someday? He instantly shook off the idea and looked to Mario for what they are to do next. After all, he was the boss and he didn't want to assume anything out of respect. He waited for his command patiently.

Mario stood still, his escaping hair blowing in the wind, his cap almost sliding off, and after he knew that Bowser was truly gone, he walked to the nearby warp pipe. The Princess still held tightly onto him and just before he whisked down the pipe, he signaled Luigi with a "Cmon." Luigi obeyed, following his Master into the darkness of the green metal.


	2. Chapter 2

Luigi obediently waddled behind Mario and the Princess and watched as the light began to diminish, walking further and further down the pipe. It grew incredibly dark while they were there, and Luigi couldn't tell if Mario was still present or if even he himself was there at all. He then heard the tiny, fragile whimpers of Peach and realized that his brother was no where far from gone.

"It's okay, Peach," Mario assured her, "You're fine now. There's nothing more to be afraid of."

Luigi could easily sense that Mario was wiping away her tears; this was not the first time they had saved the Princess. It was somewhat of a play that he had already seen, a rerun of a TV show, a timeless movie. A few times, Luigi has been at least a little envious of Mario; he sometimes felt that he could be able to save Peach as well. He imagined it for a slight second in the darkness. He would be the one everyone called if they needed help. He would be the hero. He would have a reason to wake up in the morning. He would be the star. Drool started to slide down the side of his mouth, when Peach sniffled, and he awoke from his daydream, only wishing that it could have come true...

"I suppose you're right, Mario," she spoke softly. At this point, she leaped out of Mario's arms, causing him to stop walking abruptly. Luigi accidentally walked right into him.

"Heh, sorry bro...," he whispered to his ear.

"We can go to castle," Peach said, a little more cheerfully, "We'll forget this, and have a small celebration for you, Mario!"

Why does HE get all the parties? thought Luigi. How come there's never any parties for me? I helped in this too! I think I rightfully deserve recognition! But he didn't mention anything of it and they all continued to walk.

Light poured from the end of the warp pipe, and the Mushroom Castle was visible to all. Peach was now using her own legs to walk, and she seemed to have cleaned her face with her handkerchief. Mario looked tired, but courageous, sweat dripping from the sides of his face. He had a proud look upon himself. And Luigi, looking up at the sky, curled and tangled with clouds of gray, shivered. Just when thunder rumbled the earth, Luigi trembled even more.

"Oh my! It sounds like a huge rain storm is coming our way," Peach announced, "We must hurry to the castle before it starts to rain!" In a split second, Mario again picked up the Princess and sprinted towards the tower. Luigi, having had a delayed reaction, started to run, only tripping on his own shoelace. He fell flat on his face, his clothes scattered with more dirt than before. He looked up from the grass.

"C'mon, Luigi! Hurry before the storm gets yah!" Mario shouted. Luigi scrambled to his feet, and sprinted after his brother. A drop of water trickled from his nose, and a moderate shower began to come down. Within the second thunder, Luigi was only halfway there. He was determined to make it to the castle. He pushed himself as hard as he could, and as the mountains of rain began to pour, he closed the doors of the castle tightly shut.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of the large castle doors closing echoed throughout the vast greeting room. Luigi was slightly wet, drops of rain trickling from his hair and sweat sliding down his cheeks. His hands still hung onto the doors as he stopped to catch his breath.

"You alright, Luigi?" Mario asked, "You were almost caught out there,"

Luigi finally let go of the door handles and turned to his brother, "I'm fine. Another second and I would've been soaked." Mario smiled to him, while Peach had a concerned look on her face.

"Oh, Luigi! I'll go get you a towel so you can dry off," and off she went to find them.

Mario stepped towards Luigi, "You gotta be careful out there, bro. You gotta think fast cause stuff can happen-" he snapped his fingers, "-just like that. I worry about you, you know."

"I know, I know," Luigi mumbled, "I just wanna..."

"What? You wanna what...?" Mario asked curiously.

Luigi looked away, embarrassed, "I-I can't say..."

Mario looked befuddled, "Of course you can tell me! We're brothers, Luigi! You can tell me anything, I won't say anything bad,"

"Well..." Luigi started, his sweat beginning to return on his face, "Sometimes I wish...I could be the hero..." He paused. He felt blood rush to his face in embarrassment. What a stupid question to ask! Here of all places! He instantly regretted the proposition and kicked himself for it, at least in his head.

He waited for Mario's reaction. Luigi knew it was a crazy thing to think and he knew his brother would criticize it every which way. He shuffled his feet, rubbed his arm, and bit his lip in anticipation.

"Pff...like THAT'LL ever happen," Mario scoffed with a smirk. Luigi tossed a glare, and turned his head away. Mario grabbed his shoulder, "Oh bro, I'm just kidding! I know you have the potential, but...you just don't seem as if you're ready yet." Mario walked in front of Luigi to get a better look of him. Now a small, lonely tear ran across his cheek, and his blue eyes never looked any more blue. "Oh c'mon, now," Mario spoke softly, "I know you can do it. You just have to try harder and believe in yourself. Y'gotta have pride, stamina, strength! I know they're all bottled in yah, y'just haven't opened them up yet. Y'got that?" Luigi looked up, and saw his brothers own big blue eyes too, and he smiled.

"Okay," he said. Mario smiled and hugged Luigi, while Luigi hugged back.

Later that night, Mario, Luigi, and Peach sat down for their banquet. Mario, as always, seemed to enjoy the food quite well. Peach remained reserved, although she made happy, peaceful gestures. Luigi sat in silence. Peach made another concerned face towards him. She reached for his glass, "Luigi, would you like some more water?"

He pulled his head up slightly, "Oh sure, Peach. That'd be alright," and sunk his head back down. Peach wondered what would make Luigi all of a sudden so blunt and miserable. She picked up his glass and walked to the kitchen.

"Oh crap!" Mario announced, "I forgot to ask Peach to take my glass too. I'll be right back, Luigi!" Mario sat up and walked towards the kitchen as well. Luigi continued to sit motionless and quiet.

As Peach filled the empty glass with water, Mario walked into the kitchen. She turned around, and yelped loudly, spilling water and glass all over the kitchen floor. "Oh, Mario! You surprised me!"

"Heh, sorry Peach, that was my fault. I'll clean that right up for you," Mario insisted. They both pulled out the heavy-duty towels from the drawers under the sink and swirled them around on the floor.

"Say, Mario, do you know why Luigi looks so upset?" Peach asked. Mario looked up at her, "He seems so distant, so... unlike himself..."

"Oh, he just feels like he should be the hero sometimes," Mario replied, "I told him he wasn't ready for it. Really, Peach, he just doesn't seem like he COULD be the hero,"

"Oh. Well I think he'd make an excellent hero. He just needs to come in when the time's right. He has the potential, I know this," she smiled proudly. Peach was always so considerate with feelings. She didn't know Luigi as much as Mario probably knew him, but she knew enough.

"Oh please, like that will ever happen. Luigi doesn't step up for things, he's not really an aggressive guy. I love him, don't get me wrong, but I don't think he'll never be up for it, at least right now. The day he steps up is the day I retire!"

After the mess was clean, Peach filled another glass with water, while Mario filled up his own glass. As the two walked out of the kitchen, the first thing they noticed was Luigi. He was standing in the hallway by the kitchen with a discriminated look on his face. Another tear poured out of his eye, and another, and another. He looked at his brother and said, "Peach yelled, so... I came to see if everything was... alright... " and his voice cracked a little at the end of alright.

He had heard every word his brother had spoken.


	4. Chapter 4

There was a long, and somewhat awkward stare between them. Luigi's eyes were already watering, and Mario's eyes were widened; he was surprised and slightly guilty. Peach knew she had to stay clear and out of the way. Anything could disrupt their moment, a moment of brother rivalry, and brotherly love.

"I can't believe you!" Luigi yelled under his breath. He turned his head and started to walk. The first thing he thought was that he shouldn't have spoken in that tone of voice to Mario. He knew it was wrong, but he felt a strange feeling of righteousness. He felt as if he was breaking free. He didn't want to be owned. He wanted to be his own judge, his own ruler, and not be ruled by his own big brother.

"Luigi, look, I'm sorry," Mario tried to apologize, "But-"

"But what? I'm apparently," Luigi held up fake quotes with his fingers, "'Unreliable' or 'not good enough' the be a hero? Is THAT what you think of your own brother?"

Mario was very confused. He didn't know where any of this was coming from. "I never said you were unreliable. I just want you to be fully trained and know what you're doing, and capable of doing,"

"Oh please, you just want me to be a perfect person like you," By this point, Luigi was letting all his emotions out for the past years. He wasn't going to be ignored this time. Somebody would hear him.

"I don't want you to be perfect!" Mario was somewhat yelling now, as if he were trying to knock some sense into Luigi, "I want you to be-"

"Stop acting like you control me, Mario!" Mario looked in disbelief at what Luigi just screamed. Luigi looked down at his hands, at himself, and tears began flowing, although he didn't whimper. His head kept saying 'no', yet his heart beated 'yes'. Adrenaline flowed. There was no turning back.

There was a pause. Then Luigi continued, "I don't care what YOU want me to be. I care about what I want me to be,"

Mario's voice softened a bit, "I'm just worried about you. I don't want you getting hurt or anything,"

"Well I don't want YOU looking after ME!" Luigi was using hand gestures proudly, pointing to himself and confident in what he was saying.

"I'm your brother, Luigi, I'm supposed to look after you," Mario spoke, in a more caring tone. He was trying to calm him down, although it didn't seem to be working.

"Listen, Mario," Luigi said, walking towards his brother, as close as he could get, "I'm a grown person, and I can look after myself! I'm not two years old anymore! I'm not stupid!" He then turned and walked towards the big castle doors. He opened one, and the rain splashed inside. A lightning bolt struck the ground, and the thunder shook the Mushroom Kingdom.

"I'm worried about you, bro..." Mario warned Luigi.

"I can take care of myself," Luigi said to himself. He then said a little louder, "I'll show you, Mario! I'll be the hero! And you'll be proud of me!" He walked out the door, but before he left, he peeked in one last time, and murmured, "...For once...," and nothing else could be heard but the sounds of the closing doors' echo. Those were the last words Mario had heard from his brother.

Mario looked down, realizing his brother was gone, on his own, and he was so heartbroken he fell to the floor and sat there. He head and shoulders sunk as far as they could go. Peach quickly rushed over, and knelt down beside him. She hugged him, and she could feel his pain. The guilt he felt for his brother wanting to go on his own. She knew that although Mario was strong, and even if no tears were shed, he still wanted to cry as loud as he could so the whole world could feel his pain.

Luigi, outside of the castle doors, now stood alone. The rain had softened to a slight shower, even a drizzle. He walked over to the streetlight, wet and cold, shivering all over. Loneliness was his only friend now. He looked down at his watch which read 7:06 in the evening. He had no where to go but forward, so he began. As he walked down the dimly lit street, he thought of himself, how he's overcome over the years, and hoped that the road he journeyed down leaded somewhere. Anywhere.

Anywhere other than here.

He's only walked for about five minutes or so, but he was too frigid, and dropped to his knees in the middle of the street. The rain on his face was nothing compared to the coldness of his tears. He sat down and wept, knowing he shouldn't have left and could not go back. He knew he should've listened to his brother. He wanted to say sorry, yet he couldn't. He sat and cried, like a lost puppy.

When he finally looked up he noticed a figure, maybe a person. It walked in front of him, but because of the darkness he couldn't make out who it was. Whatever it was, it was holding an umbrella, and it was wearing a familiar pair of orange shoes.


	5. Chapter 5

"Some night for you to be walkin' around," pronounced Princess Daisy, grinning and leaning down to see the soaked Luigi from below, "What say you? Why do you sit on the ground like that?"

Luigi looked up and couldn't help but cry even more. Daisy knelt on the ground in front of him, steering her umbrella over him as well. She whipped out her handkerchief and started to wipe his face. "Hey, hey, there's no need to cry like a baby! What's the problem?" Luigi, although looking straight into her blue eyes, didn't respond to her questions. Daisy looked worried, but regained her smiles in a few seconds to try and comfort him.

"Here, come with me," Daisy pulled up Luigi with her one free arm, "Come to my Palace with me in Sarasaland. You're freezing and shivering. It's not a far walk, and you can tell me everything after you've calmed down." With Luigi still crying his eyes out, and Daisy holding him with her arm, the two walked down the street into the darkness.

Within maybe ten or fifteen minutes, they approached Sarasaland. It was a moderately populated kingdom, suddenly a bit warmer than the Mushroom Kingdom, but rain still falling generously. The streetlights were glowing brightly as they walked by them. Daisy began to pull out the palace keys from inside her purse. Luigi quivered under Daisy's wing.

"Don't worry, Luigi," Daisy whispered, "We'll be inside in no time." She picked out the biggest key from the ring and placed it in the keyhole. After she turned it, there was the sound of tumblers, and she pushed open the castle doors. She guided Luigi inside, and closed the doors behind her.

Luigi picked up his head and his eyes lit up. The greeting room had an astounding view, with an orange and white rug that seemed miles long, and an endless yellow staircase leading to the second floor. After Daisy re-locked the door, she turned abruptly, but stopped when she noticed Luigi.

"I see you like the greeting room, eh Luigi?" Luigi turned and nodded to her. She smiled with a pleased look upon her face. "Follow me," she insisted, "I'll let you wash up." She then began to guide him to the nearest bathroom, "You're dirty and cold. A warm shower is just what you need. No questions asked."

Daisy arranged all the bright orange towels in a row. She then pulled out the decorative soaps and sponges. That's a lot of soaps, he thought, but they look way too feminine for me... I doubt I'll use any of the scented ones. Luigi stood there watching her prepare the shower. He gestured a few times that he would be able to do it himself but every time he thought about it, he realized he WAS a guest in her home, and gave up, letting her serve him.

"Okay, there you have it!" She breathed out after she finished, "There are the soaps and shampoos, and the towels are hanging over here. Oh, and here are your pajamas." Daisy reached for his clothes and handed them to him. He blushed a little and grabbed them from her hands. "Don't take it personal; you forgot them when you spent the night in the kingdom that one time. When you and Mario were on that journey of yours." Luigi remembered and smiled, still blushing. "If you have any problems, I'll be preparing your bed upstairs. We can talk about your problem whenever you're ready."

Daisy smiled once more and closed the bathroom door behind her. Luigi stood holding his clothes in the large room. The shower was somewhat of a normal size, despite the size of the bathroom; the sink counter-top was the culprit for taking up the space. He placed his clothes on the top of the counter-top and walked towards the shower. He turned the knob to turn on the shower and adjusted the temperature. As he undid his overalls, the steam from the hot water gathered upon the mirrors, erasing what had happened in the past hour or so...


	6. Chapter 6

Luigi stood in the shower, and he let the warm water relax his body. His shoulders were spread out and his head was tilted back. His wet hair glistened from the lights of the bathroom. He could feel the tension being pulled off of him. He inhaled the hot steam, and exhaled out the problems within. He began to drift to a different place; a place where he was worshiped. A place where he was appreciated. A place where no foul beast or demon could get passed the Kingdom he so protected to his death. He smiled and chuckled slightly. He then opened his eyes, which resulted in being filled with hot water in a matter of 3 seconds.

"Geeeeoww!" Luigi yelped. He rubbed his eyes with a nearby washcloth and blinked a few times to make sure his eyes worked properly again.

Luigi curiously peeked over at some body wash on the side of the shower. He reached for it and held it up to his face so he could read the label. "Hm," he thought, "'A Girl's Pleasure', eh? We'll see about that." He smirked to himself while opening the cap and squirting a few drops into his hands. He put the bottle down and rubbed the soap between his hands and spread it over his body, making sure it covered every inch. As he finished, he smelled himself, and made a disgusted face.

"Eww," he complained, "I smell like a girl! This isn't guy's body wash!" He quickly washed off the excess soap. "But then again, is there even a guy's body wash at all?" he wondered. "Yeah, I guess I walked into that one..."

Seeming undesirable to the shower once and for all, he turned the shower knob, and the water stopped flowing. He let his hair drip water for a second or two, and shook his head so the water would stop. He raised one foot out of the shower, onto the floor of the bathroom. As he raised his other foot, he slipped out of control, and fell on his chest onto the bathroom floor.

"Geez, what else is gonna happen? Am I gonna break my leg next?" he asked himself. He pushed his naked body up to his feet and walked to the counter-top, where he stepped onto a rug. He looked down, smiled, and wiggled his toes, knowing that he was secure this time. There was nothing like walking on a soft rug after a shower, especially a custom one for the princess... it felt like heaven.

He looked at himself in the mirror. Some wet brown hair, a wet mustache, a big round nose, and a pair of large blue eyes stared back at him. He reached for his towel and began to dry off his body. He only rubbed his 'stache dry for a few seconds before it became poofy again. He then put down his towel and reached for his underwear. As he picked them up, he groaned inside; they had little mushrooms and stars all over them. What was he, five? He didn't remember wearing these pair on that so-called "adventure"...

He put those and his socks on rather quickly, and poked his head out through his shirt. Just as he reached for his overalls, he looked over and noticed that they had vanished. All he reached out for was a white marble counter-top.

"Oh no!" Luigi said to himself, "Where are my overalls? They were right here! I remember seeing them!" He looked under the counter-top, on the shower rack, and even in the shower itself, but no overalls did he find. "Aw man! Those were my lucky pair, too!"

He opened the bathroom door slightly, just so his head could be seen, "Daisy? Are you there?" He heard giggling down the hallway, but no answer otherwise. "Daisy, do you have my overalls?"

"Maybe," she answered. Although she spoke, she was not visible to Luigi. She must've been hiding, he thought.

"Well...can I have them?" Luigi asked.

"Sure," she replied, "But you'll have to find me, first!"

Luigi's eyes widened, then he looked down at himself, "But I'm in my underwear!"

Daisy giggled and finally said, "That's only part of the fun!" The only thing he heard after that was the scurrying of her feet, most notably her socks.

Luigi sighed and opened the bathroom door slowly. He looked down once more and thought to himself, this is ridiculous! Chasing a Princess around in my underwear. What am I, a pervert? Nevertheless, unless he wanted to look like a fool (which by this point he probably already did), he had to search for Daisy and his missing overalls.


	7. Chapter 7

Luigi walked out of the bathroom in nothing but his green shirt and his white briefs. He didn't bother putting on the embarrassing pajamas that Daisy had given him earlier; he wouldn't be able to walk in pride if he wore those, let alone sleep at night. He had a nervous face and tremble as he felt uncomfortable in chasing a Princess around her castle in his underwear.

But she had his overalls. His favorite pair. The pair on which he spilled barbecue sauce that one time at a party some years before. The pair that he had restitched when he fell on his knee and tore them by accident. The pair that he wore before he left his brother… and he wasn't prepared to be giving them up anytime soon. Luigi walked into the large living room, which had windows a-plenty and a rug with a giant daisy in the middle. It came complete with yellow chairs, a yellow sofa, and a fireplace. Luigi felt more cozy in that room, but he couldn't stay in there long; the windows were able to let the outsiders see him without pants, so he quickly ran into the kitchen.

Nothing here either, he thought. By this point he grew uneasy and impatient. She couldn't have gone far, right? He searched around the kitchen islands. He looked in every cabinet. He went to the foyer and looked in his coat closet, but none of them were occupied with a Daisy. He sighed, as if in defeat, and trudged up the stairs to the upper floor. He cringed at the thought of checking her room... though it'd be the only logical place where she could be, he was half naked! What a pervert to be going through a young princess' room in nothing but your underwear! Chivalrous a man he was, he blushed in embarrassment and decided to check the guest rooms first. That'd give him some extra time.

Into the other rooms he went, but still no Daisy. Checking under every bed, checking every closet, and checking every bathroom, but she was no where to be found. This is typical, he thought, might as well lock me up now; guilty as charged..! He had no other options. He went for her room. He pushed open the door.

"Daisy...? T-this isn't funny, I don't want to come in here. Come out..!"

He crept to the middle of the room, trying to be as quiet as possible. His heart could have beaten right out of his chest; _I'm in her room. What kind of person am I...?_

However, his thoughts were interrupted as he heard a sharp bang from the door to her room closing shut.


	8. Chapter 8

Luigi yelped and turned to see who closed the door; he saw nothing but a closed yellow door. He looked around cautiously, but saw no one. "Come out!" he shouted nervously, "Come out or you'll be sorry! I mean it!"

"Hello, Luigi..." growled a feminine, sinister Daisy. She scurried right in front of him, and he shuffled his feet, trembling with fright. She had a devious, yet playful look on her face, and had Luigi's overalls behind her back. Luigi quickly noticed them, but was too afraid to grab them from her.

"Are you nervous?" she asked, smiling a sneaky smile. "We're all alone, in my room, with nothing to do..."

Luigi could feel the sweat from his neck and lifted his arm to wipe it from his forehead. He was shaking all over. What could she be thinking? he thought. I hope it isn't what I think it is...

Daisy lifted her hand and guided her finger around his cheek, to the tip of his nose. Luigi blushed and blinked nervously. "You know that I wouldn't do anything to harm you, dear Luigi," she said softly.

"Uhhh," he said, "I-I'm not so sure a-about that,"

Daisy snickered innocently, "Well, I will make you one tiny offer. You can have your overalls and wear them for the rest of the night, if you wish..."

Luigi looked up and nodded assuredly.

"But to do so," she said, pulling his face closer and closer to hers, "You have to give me a kiss,"

Luigi was going to say something like "Daisy, we can't do that! In your room!" or "Don't you want some money instead?" or something clever when she didn't give him a moment to think. In an instant, he went from nervous, to fully relaxed. His mind went blank. He could feel nothing but butterflies, and Daisy's lip gloss. He closed his eyes, smitten, and didn't even notice that Daisy had kissed him without his consent.

Daisy retrieved herself from their embrace and passed him his overalls, "See? Now was that so hard?" She smiled, and even chuckled a little bit.

Luigi's mind-drift had shattered, and he was too delirious to even know that she had given back his overalls. He just stood there, waiting to see if she would kiss him once again, but she didn't. Luigi shook his head and bounced back into reality in a split second. He laughed nervously, and looked down at his old overalls. He saw the sauce stain. He saw the stitched seem. And then he saw on the inside of them, a stitching he had never seen before. He looked more closely at it, and noticed that it was probably the most important, and closest stitching of all. It wasn't a stain, and it wasn't a patched stitch. It was a stitching of his brother's initials.

He began to think back, and wonder when and how it was put there. He remembered one incident awhile ago, where he and his brother were trying to defeat Bowser. He couldn't remember much, probably because he was badly injured. The only thing he could remember was that his brother had forced Bowser to flee, and he was lying in his arms. He couldn't lift himself, for his arm was broken. -Luigi rubbed his arm in remembrance- For some reason, Mario didn't think his brother would make it, so he pulled some thread and a needle from his back pocket, and stitched his initials into the back of Luigi's overalls. The only thing he remembered Mario saying was, "I don't know if you will be okay, but if we can't help you, I want you and everyone else to know that you are my brother,"

Luigi, influenced by the flashback and overwhelmed by the love his brother used to feel for him, began to cry in front of Princess Daisy.


	9. Chapter 9

Daisy was a bit confused; she started to believe that she had made him cry, but she pulled her wits together and realized that it was something else.

"What's wrong, Luigi?" Daisy asked, "You never did mention why you were so upset before. Are you ready to open up now?"

Luigi looked at Daisy's concerned and caring blue eyes. He nodded and she lead him to the edge of her bed. She sat both herself and Luigi down on the plush comforter. Luigi wiped his tears with his shirt.

"I-I told Mario that I wanted to take some credit for helping save Peach with him, but he said that he thought I wasn't ready," Luigi sniffled a few times as he was talking, "And later, during dinner when I was going to ask Peach to fill my glass with water, I overheard Mario talking to her about how I'll never be a hero, and I'll never be able to save anybody, or even myself for that matter,"

Daisy felt Luigi's sorrow as he spoke, and rubbed his arms to comfort him, "You know what, Luigi? Mario just has too much pride. He's an arrogant person who thinks he can get himself and anyone out of a situation. One day, Luigi, karma will get to him, and you will have to save him because he won't be able to save himself. Once you do that, he'll realize that he's been a jerk all along,"

Luigi looked to her and smiled. Daisy did feel that he was a hero and she did feel somewhat protected whenever he was around her (though Daisy was fully capable of defending herself, she didn't mind Luigi's efforts). He knew it, and he was sure of it. She _is_ devious sometimes, he thought, but she's also a really good friend.

Just as Luigi was about to say something else, an alarm began to sound off and blare its siren. Luigi jumped up and shrieked, while Daisy gripped Luigi's shoulder. A yellow Toad ran into Daisy's room, looking as if he were in quite a panic. **"The Mushroom Kingdom has been taken over! The Mushroom Kingdom has been taken over!"**


	10. Chapter 10

Luigi and Daisy stared blankly at the frightened, sweaty Toad. His button-down shirt was no longer buttoned, and his eyes were large. Sure, a Toad is known to over-react, but this kind of attitude did not look like something that could be memorized and said in a play.

"What? What are you saying, you nervous wreck?" Daisy asked sharply as she slid off her bed and walked towards the Toad.

"T-The Mushroom Kingdom, your highness! B-Bowser has come to take it over a-and a bunch of Koopa's are invading as we speak," spoke the yellow Toad, "A watch Toad from our kingdom saw the disaster and pressed the emergency button!"

"Mario!" Luigi cried, "He's over there! And so is Peach! They'll be taken by Bowser!"

Daisy turned towards Luigi and raised an eyebrow, "You know what, Luigi? Mario can take care of it. He thinks he's so powerful and shit, well we'll see about that!"

"B-But..." Luigi stuttered.

"Look," Daisy said in a caring manner, "I told you karma was gonna hit him. If he thinks he can fix everything with his little magic finger then let him. You don't need him to treat you like crap and then expect you to save his life,"

"But he's my brother!" Luigi stated.

Daisy sat next to him and tried to comfort him, rubbing his shoulders, "Luigi, I know what you mean. I want you to understand this though: he always wants you to be there for him, but when it comes to you he's never there!"

"Daisy..."

"Listen, do you wanna be owned by Mario all your life? Do you?"

Luigi shuffled. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to save his brother from destruction, but he also wanted to be caressed by Daisy some more. Is it wrong to do the right thing? Or is it right to do the wrong?

"I...I can't, I have to go," Luigi sprinted out the bedroom door and left Daisy behind on her bed. Luigi abruptly ran down the yellow stairs, out the wooden doors, and into the darkness of wind and rain, "I'm coming, Mario!"


	11. Chapter 11

Daisy sat on her bed, and stared blankly at the door through which Luigi left. She blinked just for a moment or two, then crossed her arms and sighed a concerned and somewhat angry sigh. The Toad looked at her cautiously.

"He's gonna hurt himself out there... I have to stop him!" she rose from her bed and walked towards the door, but she was blocked by the Toad.

"Princess! What are you intending on doing?!" he asked.

"I'm bringing Luigi back, so he doesn't get himself killed and so that his feelings aren't torn apart anymore than they already were!" she stated as she tried to move him out of her way.

"But what if you help him!" he suggested, "Then he can be looked at as a hero, and so can you,"

Daisy pondered this suggestion just before she walked out of her bedroom door. She grinned, turned towards the Toad, and said, "I knew I kept you guys around for somethin'!" and kissed the Toad's tiny nose. He blushed a little and rubbed his nose, while Daisy walked towards her closet.

Meanwhile, Luigi was running, faster than he ever ran before. The rain hit his face like cold needles, the lighting crashed in the fields next to him, and the thunder roared above him. He did not tremble; he did not care about his own atmosphere; he cared about his brother's. He didn't want anything to happen to Mario. That was his brother, he thought, and what would he do if something ever happened to him?!

Luigi failed to believe what Daisy said to him (for once); he failed to believe that Mario didn't love him. Sure he doubted him here and there, but that didn't mean that he didn't have a love for his brother. The sibling rivalry was a playful one, not a deathly one.

Luigi tripped over a large, unseen stone, and he rammed into the wet asphalt of the ground. He groaned and tried to pick himself up when the sound of an engine began to grow louder. He didn't know where it was coming from, since it was too dark to barely see anything. He closed his eyes, trembled, and waited for impact. Whatever it was, it stopped near him. He opened his eyes, and looked up.

"C'mon!" Daisy shouted, wearing her biker outfit, "We've gotta get to Bowser before it's too late!"

Luigi smiled, hopped upon her Mach Bike, and she started the engine once more. She drove as fast as she could, and the two headed for the Mushroom Kingdom.


	12. Chapter 12

Pitch black, rain like icicles, and wind that whipped the clothes off your back. Luigi was riding with Daisy on her Mach Bike to the Mushroom Kingdom. He needed to save the Kingdom, stop Bowser, but most importantly, rescue his brother.

Luigi had to keep one arm around Daisy and one on his hat; he was afraid he, or the hat, was going to fall off. Judging by the speed and the wind, it could be at any time that someone could be blown away.

"I think we're almost there," shouted Daisy, "I can't really know for sure because it's so dark. Are you ready, Luigi?"

"Heh...yeah I'm ready!" Luigi shouted back. There was barely any urgency in his voice; mostly nervousness.

Then after a minute or two, he could tell that Daisy's prediction was right; he was able to see street lights leading to the castle. The same ones he saw some time ago...

They drove further and more of the area was visible. The tops of the castle, the houses of the now terrified, scrambling Toads, and... worse of all... Bowser's army. Consisted of green-shelled Koopas and Goombas that showed no mercy, this was only the beginning.

Luigi, finally able to see (thanks to the street lights), looked around for Mario, Peach, or even Bowser. He shivered at this idea, but still turned his head to look.

"Alright you Koopas, I hope you like the taste of my tires!" Daisy yelled as she ran into the numerous Koopas and Goombas that were blocking their way. Luigi held onto Daisy for dear life, scared that one of them might grab him, rip him off of her bike, and...

One by one the enemies went flying, and as they approached the castle, everything was able to be seen. Bowser was in his large floating contraption, holding both Peach in one hand, and Mario in the other. Luigi couldn't believe his eyes. He thought that Mario would have beaten (or at least incapacitated) Bowser on his own instead of needing his brother as a backup, but looking at a scene like this made him realize how important he was in saving the day, even as a sidekick.

Luigi sat up in the bike, still riding faster than ever, and he shouted as loud as he could so that everyone, even Bowser could hear him:

"**MARIO!**"

At this point, Bowser had turned to Luigi and Daisy's direction. Peach was surprised, yet very relieved to see him. Mario, with an awed expression on his face, paused just a moment of struggling out of Bowser's hand, and smiled. Luigi, although still not close enough to see completely, noticed Mario's look on his face. He looked surprised, excited, happy, astonished, and all around glad that Luigi was there.

"**LUIGI!**"

Mario cried out, although muffled by Bowser's hand clutching his neck. Luigi knew at that moment that Mario did love him as his brother, as his friend, and as his sidekick. Feeling this acknowledgement, and the love he felt, he had this sudden urge of power, of courage, to defeat Bowser. This was his chance to show his brother what he could do.


	13. Chapter 13

Something had taken over Luigi that night. Maybe it was Daisy, maybe it was Bowser, or maybe it was the cry of his brother. Either way, something shook him into place. He bravely stood atop of Daisy's bike, unafraid of what could happen to him. On the inside he was still slightly scared, and wondered what the rest of his body was doing, but on the outside he showed no mercy -for once-.

Daisy was astonished at Luigi's surprising courage, "What the heck are yah doing, Luigi?! You're gonna get hurt! Get back down here right now!"

Luigi did not respond. He was too fixated on Bowser and his glaring red eyes. He wasn't going to lose sight of him this time. Luigi meant business, and his business at the moment was retrieving the Princess and Mario.

Bowser roared loudly, and directed his floating one-person ship to the small mach bike, still clutching Mario in one hand and delicately holding Peach in another. Of course, he wouldn't want to harm his wife-to-be, but he could care less what would become of the red plumber. Daisy slowed her bike down as Bowser came up to them. Daisy was a little frightened, but didn't ever show it. Luigi stared at the giant creature with anger.

Bowser then stopped in front of them and laughed maliciously, "Well, well, well," he began to snarl through his fire-coated fangs, "Look who came to try and be the hero! You have quite the guts to come all this way, Luigi, but you haven't the slightest chance at saving your little friends,"

Luigi growled under his breath. Mario could see the anger in his brother's furious eyes. He had never seen him like this before. He couldn't really be THAT angry, Mario thought, right? WeeGee wouldn't hurt a fly...

"You shut your mouth, Bowser!" Daisy snipped at him, "Luigi loves Mario, and he's not going to let an ugly son-of-a-bitch like you take him away!"

Bowser chuckled at this comment, "Tsk tsk, how unlady-like of you, 'Miss Princess of Sarasaland.'" The teasing made Daisy furious, and made Luigi just slightly more angry than he already was, "I hate to break it to you, but you couldn't win if all you had were the clothes on your back!"

In a battle against wits, Luigi glared at the monster, put his hands to his chest, and fiercely ripped the clothes from his skin. They blew off into the distance, and Luigi wore nothing but his hat and his mushroom-covered boxers. Bowser's eyes widened in disbelief, and Daisy blushed slightly. "Luigi, what are yah doin'..?" When Bowser knew the Italian man was incredibly serious, he threw Peach and Mario into a nearby cage guarded with Goombas, and shouted so that the world could hear him, "COME AND GET SOME, YOU WEAKLING!"

In a split second, Luigi jumped from the bike towards Bowser. Bowser leaned forward, snatching him up with one claw. Bowser laughed loudly, "Haha! Wow, what a battle!"

While Bowser was too distracted laughing at his 'victory', Luigi winked at Daisy. Daisy winked back and reached for something in her pocket. It was a small star. You wouldn't be able to see it since it was so dark. She slyly threw it in Luigi's direction, and it shimmered in the dark night sky. Luigi reached his hand to touch the glowing star, and suddenly a mixture of colors and glitters engulfed him. Bowser opened his eyes, dazed and confused as Luigi's strength quickly grew. He freed himself from Bowser's grasp and leaped in the air. Daisy once again threw something in his direction; a small hammer which also couldn't be seen. The second Luigi grabbed hold of the hammer, it grew. Bigger and bigger it became, leaving Bowser in disbelief and Mario and Peach amazed.

All of what seemed like forever in a single second, Luigi twirled in the sky, and dove down towards Bowser. Hammer in hand, spirit gleaming inside, his acceleration increased. His eyes met with Bowser's for the last time. He thought about all the hardship he gave his brother in the last 20+ years he's known him. He thought about how much he hurt his brother when he left. He thought about how much he was cared for. He thought about Mario. And as he swung the hammer down at Bowser, his final thought was, "This is for my bro,"

At first, Bowser was smashed to the ground by the hammer, and when he bounced up, dazed and lightheaded from the blow, Luigi stood at the ground with the hammer, and swung it in the direction of the sky. The flying machine caught Bowser, and both flew off into the sky without a word. At last, he was defeated, unseen, and gone.

Daisy was speechless as she positioned her bike. Peach held a delicate hand to her mouth in awe. Mario's mouth was dropped wide as he clenched the bars of the cage. Even the Goombas and Koopas surrounding the cage shivered in surprise over the power of the green plumber. Luigi's teeth shone through the darkness and rain, and soon his temper died down. His eyes widened and he seemed somewhat worried about what he had done. As the hammer flew into the sky, the star's power wore off and the rainbows receded. The enemies remained and stood in silence.

"Well, you guys want some more? HUH?!" Daisy shouted at them, "Then get the hell outta here!"

In an instance, they all ran (or flew) away, not wanting to be next on the list.

Luigi ran to the cage, shouting, "MARIO!"

Mario happily looked up and saw his brother, "Luigi! You were amazin' Bro!"

Luigi held the bars of the cage as the rain softened, "I'm sorry I left you. I just felt so horrible that you thought I was useless,"

Mario was still holding onto the bars, looking at Luigi, "I don't think you're useless. I was just worried you could get hurt. I'd never want anything to happen to my little brother... besides, I know what it's like to do this kinda stuff, I just didn't want you to go through what I did."

Luigi's eyes were starting to tear, with the happiest tears one could ever cry, "I'm so glad you're okay, Mario! I'm so glad! So glad! I love you Bro!"

His cries were so loud that the Toads in the Kingdom could hear him. Peach smiled in appreciation, and Daisy looked admirably at them.

"I love you too, Bro" Mario said back to him, patting his head and trying not to let his voice choke from his happy tears as well, "But... how do we get outta here?"

Daisy instantly pulled a chainsaw from behind her, "You know what they say... be prepared!"

Luigi nervously nodded, and watched as the sharp blade freed his brother from his prison.


End file.
